Mat construction



H. W. BELL MAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 24, 1936 'I' INVENTOR HARRYWBELL.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNiTED STATES PATENT QFFIQE MATCONSTRUCTION tion of Washington Application January 24, 1936, Serial No.60,610

Claims.

This invention relates to mat construction, and more especially itrelates to improved nosing strips such as commonly are applied to one ormore margins of flexible, assembled mats, and to improved means forattaching such nosing strips to the mat structure.-

Mats of the character mentioned are of the type wherein a multiplicityof blocks of durable material, such as rubber or rubber and fabric, areassembled in. laterally overlapped relation and retained in suchrelation by a framework of wires that extend through the overlappingblocks. The respective end portions of said wires are bent at rightangles to the remainder of their 7 structure, and said angular portionsare utitures formed in the margin of a nosing strip and into alongitudinal bore formed in the nosing adjacent said margin. In anotherprior con struction, metal clips were clamped upon adjacent wire endsand inserted into the marginal portion of the nosing strip so as toextend into a longitudinal bore therein, and a flexible wire was drawnthrough said bore and through apertures formed in the respective clipsfor holding the nosing to the clips. Neither of the aforesaidconstructions was entirely satisfactory since in that first mentionedthe nosing separated from the mat very easily, and that last mentionedpresented considerable diificulty of assembly.

The chief objects of this invention are to provide a mat constructionthat may be easily assembled; to provide a mat structure wherein thenosing will not readily separate from the body thereof; and to providean improved nosing for mats of the character mentioned. Other objectswill be manifest.

Of the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a mat embodying the invention inits preferred form, parts being broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-4. of Fig ure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an improved nosing strip.

Referring to the drawing, the mat comprises a multiplicity of rubberblocks l0, Ii! that are arranged in overlapping, laterally abutting relation, and are joined to each other by transversely extending, parallelwires H, H, which Wires extend freely through apertures formed in theblocks so that the mat is sufiiciently flexible to permit it to berolled up transversely of said wires. At the ends of the mat each blockI!) is provided with a metal wear plate l2, and the two wires II thatextend through each end-block are bent at right angles, toward eachother, so as l to overlie said wear plates, as shown at H H Figure 1.

Attached to the end of the mat is a nosing strip M, the construction ofwhich is best shown in Figure 3. As shown, the nosing strip is an IQelongate structure, preferably of rubber or other flexible composition,that may be made in a continuous strip by extrusion and thereafter cutto length and vulcanized. One lateral marginal portion of the nosingstrip is of the same thickness as the blocks [0 of the mat, and hasformed therein a longitudinally extending recess or slot I5 that opensonto the adjacent marginal face of the strip. The recess 65 is somewhatundercut as shown, so that the opening thereof on the margin of thestrip is of narrower width than the width of the recess rearwardlythereof. Rearwardly of the recess 15 the strip [4 is formed with a'T-shaped recess IS, the base of which is separated from the recess l5by a relatively thin web H, the transverse leg of the T being at theopposite end of the recess from said web. The other lateral marginalportion of the nosing strip l4 tapers to a blunt nose, and may have itsupper face formed with longitudinal fluting I8, if desired.

The nosing strip I4 is attached to the mat structure by means of aplurality of metal clips 20, 20. Each clip 20 consists of a single pieceof sheet metal that is bent upon itself to provide double thickness, theclosed margin of the clip defining a sleeve-like structure 20 thatembraces the adjacent, angularly-bent end portions H of two of theframe-Wires H. At the margin of the clip paralleling thesleeve-structure 28 the respective metal plies are bent laterally inopposite directions to form right-angle flanges 20 20". Each metal clip20 has a centrally disposed aperture 2| that is elongated in thedirection that is parallel to the flanges 20 In the assembling of theimproved mat, after the clips 20 have been mounted upon the wireends asshown, the nosing strip is placed beside the mat and the location of theclips spotted upon the strip, and also the location of the apertures 2|,if desired. The web H of the nosing strip is then slit in those regionsthereof where the recesses I5 and I6 are to receive the clips 20. Thenosing strip is then assembled with the mat by forcing the flangedmargins of the clips through the slits of the web H, the flexibility andelasticity of the nosing permitting such distortion thereof as may berequired. When completely assembled, the flanged margin of each clip 20seats snugly within the transverse leg of the T-shaped slot l6, and thuseffects a mechanical interlock with the nosing structure that stronglyresists separation of the members. In like manner the sleeve portion 20of each clip 20 is received within the undercut recess [5 andmechanically interlocked with the nosing strip by reason of therelatively narrow marginal opening of said recess. The mechanicalinterlocking of the nosing and clips at two regions as described usuallyis sufficient to retain said parts in assembled relation under normalconditions, since the unsevered portions of the web I! prevent spreadingof the slotted marginal portion of the nosing except when intentionallydone during the assembling of the mat.

In the event that a stronger union of the mat and nosing is desired, thenosing strip may be bored through, before assembly, at longitudinallyspaced points 23, 23, which points are aligned with the elongateapertures 2| of the respective clips 20 after assembly. The bores 23receive rivets 24 or other suitable retaining means that pass throughthe apertures 2| of the clips 20 and securely retain the same againstremoval. If rivets 24 are used, the bores 23 may be counterbored on theunder side of the nosing strip to receive respective washers, such asthe washers 25, over which the rivets are crimped.

The invention provides a durable mat of neat appearance wherein there isa strong union between the body of the mat and the nosing strip. Thestructure is flexible so as to permit rolling of the mat longitudinallyof the nosing, the mat and nosing are easily assembled, and the otherobjects set out in the foregoing statement of objects are achieved.

Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims, which are not limitedwholly to the specific construction shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mat construction, the combination of a mat body including ametal frame, a nosing strip of flexible material formed in one lateralmarginal portion with a longitudinally extending undercut groove, andmetal clips secured at spaced points to said metal frame and positionedin said undercut groove of the nosing strip, said clips being so shapedas mechanically to interlock with the nosing structure.

2. In a mat construction, the combination of a mat body including ametal frame, a flexible nosing strip formed with a longitudinallyextending T-shaped recess therein, which recess is accessible from alateral margin of the strip, and metal clips secured at spaced points tosaid metal frame and positioned in said recess, said clips being formedwith laterally extended flanges whereby they interlock with the nosingstructure.

3. In a mat construction, the combination of a mat body including ametal frame, a flexible nosing strip along a margin thereof, said nosingstrip being formed with a longitudinally extending, undercut grooveopening onto one of its margins, and a T-shaped recess rearwardlythereof and accessible from said groove, and metal clips secured atspaced points to said metal frame and extending into said groove andrecess, said clips being so constructed as mechanically to interlockwith the nosing structure in said groove and said recess.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3 including a thin web of materialseparating the groove and recess of the nosing strip except at regionsWhere the clips extend therethrough.

5. A combination as defined in claim 3 including clip-fastening meansextending transversely through the nosing strip, recess, and cliptherein,

6. A nosing strip for mats consisting of an elongate structure offlexible material formed with a longitudinally extending, laterallyundercut groove in one marginal face thereof, and formed rearwardly ofsaid groove with an internal T-shaped recess, said groove and recessbeing separated by a thin web of material that is longitudinally slit atspaced regions longitudinally of the strip.

7. A nosing strip for mats consisting of an elongate structure offlexible material formed with a longitudinally extending groove in onemarginal face thereof, and formed rearwardly of said groove with aninternal, longitudinally extending T-shaped recess, said groove andrecess being separated by a thin web of material that is longitudinallyslit at spaced regions longitudinally of the strip.

8. In a mat construction, the combination of a mat body including ametal frame, a nosing strip of flexible material formed with alongitudinally extending groove in one marginal face thereof and formedrearwardly of said groove with an internal longitudinally extendingrecess, said groove and recess being coextensive with the nosing stripand locally connected at spaced intervals by slits through theintervening wall of material, metal clips secured at spaced points tosaid metal frame positioned in the groove of said nosing strip andhaving flanges extending into the respective slits, and securing meansdisposed transversely of the nosing strip and engaging the respectiveclip-flanges for attaching the nosing strip to the mat body.

9. A combination as defined in claim 8 in which each clip-flange isformed With an elongated aperture for receiving the means that securesthe nosing strip to the mat body.

10. In a mat construction, the combination of a mat body including ametal frame, a nosing strip of flexible material formed with alongitudinally extending groove in one marginal face thereof and formedrearwardly of said groove with an internal longitudinally extendingrecess, said groove and recess being coextensive with the nosing stripand locally connected at spaced intervals by slits through theintervening wall of material, metal clips mounted at spaced points onsaid metal frame positioned in the groove of said nosing strip andhaving flanges extending into the respective slits, and securing meansdisposed transversely of the nosing strip and flanges extending throughthe latter for preventing removal of said clips from the nosing strip,the under side of the nosing strip being recessed to receive one end ofthe respective securing means.

HARRY W. BELL.

